Elkhart man arrested after toddler is injured

September 17, 2008|STAFF REPORT

ELKHART -- A 23-year-old Elkhart man was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with a 21-month-old toddler being serious injured earlier this month. Police say the suspect, who has not been formally charged, had been watching the child before the child was injured. The suspect, who is the boyfriend of the child's mother, was accused of neglect of a dependent. Investigators determined the injuries the toddler received were not consistent with an accident or anything the child could have done to herself. Police say the toddler has been diagnosed with having bleeding on the brain and hemorrhaging behind both eyes. The child may not recover from the injuries and also is experiencing partial blindness, police said. The Elkhart Police Department homicide unit is investigating the incident. The child will be placed in a foster home when she is released from the hospital, according to authorities.